Iowa River IA 02-IOW-628

The sources of data for this assessment include (1) results of water quality and fish tissue monitoring conducted from 2012-2014 near the Iowa City water treatment plant as part of the ACOE-sponsored Coralville Reservoir Water Quality Study, (2) results of a statewide assessment of freshwater mussels in 1998-1999 conducted by Iowa State University (Arbuckle at al.  2000), (3) results of mussel surveys in 2004 coordinated by the IDNR Fisheries Bureau, (4) results of monitoring from the IDNR/SHL ambient city monitoring station upstream from Iowa City at the Dubuque Street bridge from 2012-2014, (5) results of the IDNR fish contaminant monitoring in 2006 and 2015 at Iowa City, (6) results of fish contaminant monitoring conducted in 2006 as part of the REMAP program (Site 302), (7) IDNR/SHL TMDL, REMAP and large river biological sampling conducted in 2005, 2012-2014, and (8) results of fish kill investigations conducted on April 13, 2006 and March 17, 2007. 

[Note: A TMDL for indicator bacteria in this segment of Iowa River was prepared and approved by EPA in June 2007.  The approval of this TMDL moves the bacterial impairment for this segment from Iowa's list of Section 303(d) waters (Category 5a of the Integrated Report) to IR Category 4a (impaired; TMDL not required).]  

EXPLANATION:  Results of water quality monitoring at the ACOE long-term station near the University of Iowa water treatment plant suggest that the Class A1 uses should remain assessed (monitored) as "not supported."  The geometric means of indicator bacteria (E. coli) in the 30 samples collected during the recreational seasons of 2012, 2013 and 2014 at the ACOE station at Iowa City were as follows:  the 2012 geometric mean was 61 orgs/100 ml, the 2013 geometric mean was 41 orgs/100 ml, and the 2014 geometric mean was 306 orgs/100 ml.  Only the 2014 geometric mean exceeded the Class A1 criterion of 126 orgs/100 ml.  Five of the 30 samples (17%) exceeded the Class A1 single-sample maximum criterion of 235 orgs/100 ml.  According to U.S. EPA guidelines for Section 305(b) reporting and IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, if a recreation season geometric mean exceeds the respective water quality criterion, the contact recreation uses should be assessed as “impaired” (see pgs 3-33 to 3-35 of U.S. EPA 1997b).  Thus, because at least one recreation season geometric mean exceeded criteria for Class A1 uses, these uses are assessed as “impaired.” 

Results of bacteria monitoring conducted by IDNR at ambient station 10520002 upstream from Iowa City, however, suggest full support of the Class A1 uses.  The geometric means of indicator bacteria (E. coli) in the 22 samples collected during the recreational seasons of 2012 through 2014 at this station were as follows:  the 2012 geometric mean was 18 orgs/100 ml, the 2013 geometric mean was also 18 orgs/100 ml, and the 2014 geometric mean was 20 orgs/100 ml.  All three geometric means are well below the Class A1 criterion of 126 orgs/100 ml.  None of the 22 samples exceeded the Class A1 single-sample maximum criterion of 235 orgs/100 ml.  According to U.S. EPA guidelines for Section 305(b) reporting and IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, if recreation season geometric means for the assessment period meet the state water quality standard, the contact recreation uses should be assessed as “fully supported".  Because, however, results of ACOE monitoring show impairment of the Class A1 uses, this segment will remain in Category 4a (impaired; TMDL not required) of Iowa’s Integrated Report. 

The Class B(WW1) aquatic life were assessed (evaluated) as "partially supported" for the 2010 Integrated Reporting cycle due to fish kill investigations on April 13, 2006 and March 17, 2007.  Both kills involved only gizzard shad and were attributed to natural causes (temperature fluctuation).  Waters affected by such kills are appropriate for Category 3b of Iowa's Integrated Report, and this potential impairment was added to Iowa's 2012 list of waters in need of further investigation. 

Despite the occurrence of these fish kills, the remainder of the various types of water quality monitoring conducted in this river segment suggest good chemical water quality and "full support" of the Class B(WW1) (aquatic life) uses.  Results of ambient chemical/physical water quality monitoring at the IDNR/SHL (Dubuque Street) and UI/ACOE (UI Water Plant) stations suggest “full support" of the Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses.  Results of monitoring in 2012-2014 for the combined 99 samples from both these stations showed no violations of Class B(WW1) criteria for ammonia-nitrogen, pH, temperature, chloride, or sulfate.  These results suggest “full support” of the Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses.

Results of surveys of freshwater mussels in this river segment also suggest "full support" of the Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses.  For the 2004 reporting cycle, these aquatic life uses were assessed (monitored) as "partially supported" based on results of the 1998-99 statewide survey of freshwater mussels.  Despite the indications of good water chemical/physical water quality in this segment, results from the 1998-99 statewide survey had suggested a potential impairment to the aquatic life uses of this stream segment due to a significant decline in the freshwater mussel community.  The 1984 mussel survey of freshwater mussels included six sample sites in this stream segment.  The species richness at these six sites was 5, 5, 13, 10, 7, and 12.  In the 1998-99 survey, the corresponding species richness values were 0, 7, 1, 2, 5, and 3, respectively.  A comparison of these two surveys showed an average percent change of minus 56% and thus suggested an impairment of the Class B(WW) aquatic life uses (for more information, see the assessment developed for the 2004 reporting cycle). 

More recent monitoring, however, suggested improvement in the status of the mussel community in this segment of the Iowa River, thus suggesting that the impairment based on the 1998-99 survey should be removed.  The rationale for this assessment is as follows. 

As part of a study to reintroduce the endangered Higgins eye mussel into the Iowa, Cedar, and Wapsipinicon rivers in eastern Iowa, a four-day mussel search was conducted in August 2004.  This survey was coordinated by staff of the IDNR Fisheries Bureau from the Guttenberg and Solon fish management stations.  The purpose of the survey was to search for transformed Higgins eye mussels growing in the substrate.  In addition to staff from the Guttenberg and Solon stations, staff from IDNR Fisheries offices in Bellevue, Rathbun, and Manchester also assisted in the effort.  Also, volunteers, county conservation boards and three divers from the U.S.  Fish and Wildlife Service assisted in the effort.  The following is an excerpt from a summary of this study: 

“In total, 54 river stretches were searched by diving, wading, sieving and basket trawling.  Nearly 2,400 mussels were collected of 27 species from the three rivers.  Particularly impressive was the apparent rebound of the mussel community in the Iowa River at Iowa City.  In that reach, 24 species of mussels were collected including some of Iowa's rarer species, the yellow sandshell (Lampsilis teres) and the buckhorn (Tritogonia verrucosa).  This may be the last substantial pistolgrip population left in the state of Iowa.” 

Results of the August 2004 survey suggest improved richness of mussel species that likely exceeds that found during the 1984 survey.  Thus, based on this information, the mussel-related impairment of the aquatic life uses of this segment of the Iowa River was removed from the 2006 reporting/listing cycle. 

Somewhat contradictory to the WQ sampling and mussel results, the fish and benthic macroinvertebrate results generated as part of IDNR/SHL sampling from this segment suggest (evaluated) "partial support" of aquatic life uses.  However, because this segment is almost completely impounded by the lowhead dam at Burlington Street in Iowa City, and because the drainage areas above the sampling sites are much higher than the IDNR wadeable IBI calibration, the 2016 aquatic life assessment for this segment will rely on the WQ and mussel data, and this biological data and following biological assessment will be considered strictly supplemental. 

Based on results of the IDNR/SHL 2005 REMAP and TMDL biological samplings and on 2012-2014 stream nutrient sampling, the Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses are assessed (evaluated) as "partially supporting."  A series of biological metrics that reflect stream water quality and habitat integrity were calculated from the biological sampling data.  The biological metrics are based on the numbers and types of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa and fish species collected in the stream sampling reach.  The biological metrics were combined to make a fish community index of biotic integrity (FIBI) and a benthic macroinvertebrate index (BMIBI).  The indexes rank the biological integrity of a stream sampling reach on a rising scale from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum).  The 2005 FIBI scores (n=7) ranged from 6 to 22 (all poor).  THe 2012 BMIBI score was 11 (poor), the 2013 BMIBI score was 20 (poor) and the 2014 BMIBI score was 38 (fair).  The aquatic life use support was assessed (evaluated) as partially supporting (=PS), based on a comparison of the FIBI and BMIBI scores with biological impairment criteria (BIC) established from a statistical analysis of data collected at stream ecoregion reference sites from 1994-2008.  The FIBI BIC for this ecoregion is 36 and the BMIBI BIC for this ecoregion is 51.  This segment passed the FIBI BIC 0/7 times in 2005 and passed the BMIBI BIC 0/3 times in the last fiveyears.  This assessment is considered evaluated because the drainage area (average = 3182 mi2) above this sampling site was greater than the maximum limit (500 mi2) that was used to calibrate the Iowa wadeable stream impairment criteria.  Even though this site failed both the FIBI and BMIBI BICs, it is uncertain as to whether or not this segment is meeting the aquatic life criteria because the sites used for the assessment don’t fall in the calibrated watershed size.  Thus, this assessment is considered of lower confidence (evaluated) and is not appropriate for addition of a water to the state's Section 303(d) list.  According to IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, impairments based on “evaluated” assessments are of lesser confidence and are thus not appropriate for Section 303(d) listing (Category 5 of the Integrated Report).  IDNR does, however, consider these impairments as appropriate for listing under either Category 2b or 3b of the Integrated Report (waters potentially impaired and in need of further investigation). 

The Class C drinking water uses are assessed (monitored) as "fully supported."  Results of monitoring at the IDNR/SHL station upstream from Iowa City at Dubuque Street from 2012-2014 showed one violation of the atrazine MCL in the 26 samples collected (4% violation frequency) and no violations in the 32 samples analyzed for alachlor.  Maximum, mean, and median levels for atrazine at this station were 5.6, 0.51, and 0.1 ug/l.  Four violations of the nitrate MCL occurred in the combined 99 samples (4% violation frequency) collected and analyzed at both the IDNR and ACOE stations during the 2012-2014 period.  The maximum, mean and median levels for nitrate at the IDNR station were 14.0, 3.1, and 1.9 mg/l in the 33 samples collected and were 12.5, 3.9, and 3.0 mg/l in the 46 samples collected at the ACOE station.  IDNR’s assessment and listing methodology suggests that these results do not indicate that average values of atrazine exceed the MCL or that significantly more than 10 percent of the samples exceed the atrazine or nitrate MCLs.  Thus, results from both these routine ambient monitoring stations suggest “full support” of the Class C drinking water uses. 

Fish consumption uses remain assessed (monitored) as "fully supporting."  The results from the UI/ACOE fish contaminant monitoring in 2012 show that levels of organochlorine contaminant are very low.  Samples were collected on the Iowa River downriver from Coralville Dam in Iowa City.  The samples of common carp from this segment of the Iowa River had low levels of chlordane measured as the sum of cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor, and oxychlordane.  The levels of mercury and PCBs in the UI/ACOE fish samples were also well below Iowa’s fish consumption advisory thresholds.   

Results from the U.S. EPA/IDNR RAFT program also suggest “full support” of the fish consumption uses in this river segment.  The results from RAFT monitoring at Iowa City in 2006 show low levels of the primary contaminants (chlordane, PCBs and mercury) in the composite sample of common carp fillets:  mercury:  0.195 ppm; total PCBs:  0.09 ppm; and technical chlordane:  0.021 ppm. 

Similarly, results from the 2006 REMAP fish contaminant monitoring showed low levels of the primary contaminants in the composite sample of common carp fillets:  mercury:  0.181 ppm; total PCBs:  0.09 ppm; and technical chlordane:  <0.03 ppm.  Results of IDNR follow-up fish tissue sampling in 2015 showed that levels of mercury in tissue plug samples from five White Bass were all below the level of detection (0.05 mg/kg or ppm).

The existence of, or potential for, a fish consumption advisory is the basis for Section 305(b) assessments of support of fish consumption uses in Iowa’s rivers and lakes.  The levels of contaminants in fish from this segment of the Iowa River do not exceed any of Iowa’s advisory trigger levels, thus suggesting no justification for issuance of a consumption advisory for this waterbody.